Mass Effect 3: One-Year Anniversary & Extended Multiplayer Event

One year ago the story of Commander Shepard, savior of the galaxy (or is he/she?), came to a conclusion. It may not have been the conclusion many fans wanted from the series, but the community and media have begun to move on as timed passes. Moving away from the negative that is the disappointing end of the story wrapped around a great game, one thing BioWare did do well, against all odds, was introduce a platform for Mass Effect 3 multiplayer that could evolve along with the community.

What began as a tacked on, shallow multiplayer mode, quickly became an addicting and fun multiplayer experience that continued to grow via free DLC add-ons. New maps and new character classes bolstered by a ton of new weapons, items and even several new features helped convert Mass Effect 3 over the months into one of our favorite co-op games of 2012. Let’ take a look at what players accomplished online in that one year.

The following infographic was proudly shared by BioWare this morning on their official blog, highlighting some interesting statistics and feats, including favored weapons, classes and success rates:

[Click to Enlarge]

I’m primarily an Infiltrator using the N7 Valiant, but it’s been quite some time.

We are extremely proud of the work done by our multiplayer team, who has supported players with five add-on packs and weekly challenges over the last twelve months. Over 40 new kits, 10+ new maps, and dozens of new weapons and upgrades. And let’s not forget the Collectors, and entirely new enemy faction and the return of the dreaded Praetorian.

For players still fighting off the Reapers, Collectors and Cerberus armies, this weekend sees the end of the largest multiplayer event yet, and just in time for players to enjoy the latest Reckoning DLC pack: Operation Lodestar.

Operation: LODESTAR(Mar 5th-10th)

We are coordinating the largest-scale attack in the brief history of this war. N7 unit actions will pave the way for resistance and conventional forces trying to retake the population centers of our homeworlds. There is no retreat. When an objective is finished or a target destroyed, you will immediately focus on the next. Our assets will provide cover to network ships that will update your targets in real-time. Rally points are at your disposal in the event that all space assets meet with catastrophic casualties. From there, you will fight as your CO sees fit or until further orders arrive.

I cannot fully express my deep respect for all of you, the sapients of the Milky Way who serve together under our banner. When future generations look back on this war, they will see the courage and commitment it takes to change the fate of a galaxy. It has been a hard road, but at last: the end is in sight.

Finish it.

—Admiral Steven Hackett

Individual Goal: This challenge is tiered:

Participation earns the 1st-tier reward.

Extracting against all four enemy factions on Silver difficulty or higher earns the 2nd-tier reward.

Extracting against all four every enemy factions on Platinum difficulty earns the 3rd-tier reward.

If anything, what BioWare has crafted Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer into bodes well for what we can expect from the next-gen Mass Effect in development, likely for release next year. With the story of Shepard over but the universe still ripe for the picking (just ignore the Mass Relay thing…), perhaps the next game can offer full campaign co-op?

Follow me on Twitter @rob_keyes and let me know what you want from Mass Effect 4!

Mass Effect 3 and the latest Citadel (story) and Reckoning (multiplayer – FREE) DLC are available now for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.